By Their Fruits You Will Know Them
Transcript of Phone Conversation between C.J., [Mahaney] Doris and Larry Tomczak on October 3, 1997 [pp. 10-11]
C.J.:
Doctrine is an unacceptable reason for leaving P.D.I. [now SGM].
Larry:
C.J., I‘m not in sync with any of the T.U.L.I.P., so whether you agree or not, doctrine is one of the major reasons I believe it is God‘s will to leave P.D.I. and it does need to be included in any statement put forth.
C.J.:
If you do that, then it will be necessary for us to give a more detailed explanation of your sins.
Larry:
Justin‘s name has been floated out there when there‘s statements like “revealing more details about my sin.” What are you getting at?
C.J.:
Justin‘s name isn‘t just “floated out there” – I‘m stating it!
Larry:
C.J. how can you do that after you encouraged Justin to confess everything; get it all out. Then when he did, you reassured him, “You have my word, it will never leave this room. Even our wives won‘t be told.” I repeatedly reassured him: “C.J. is a man of his word. You needn‘t worry.” Now you‘re talking of publically sharing the sins of his youth?!
C.J.:
My statement was made in the context of that evening. If I knew then what you were going to do, I would have re-evaluated what I communicated.
Doris:
C.J., are you aware that you are blackmailing Larry? You‘ll make no mention of Justin‘s sins, which he confessed and was forgiven of months ago, if Larry agrees with your statement, but you feel you have to warn the folks and go national with Justin‘s sins if Larry pushes the doctrinal button? C.J., you are blackmailing Larry to say what you want!
Shame on you, C.J.! As a man of God and a father, shame on you!
This will send shock waves throughout the teens in P.D.I. and make many pastor’s teens vow, “I‘ll never confess my secret sins to C.J. or any of the team, seeing that they‘ll go public with my sins if my dad doesn‘t toe the line.”
C.J., you will reap whatever judgment you make on Justin. You have a young son coming up. Another reason for my personally wanting to leave P.D.I. and never come back is this ungodly tactic of resorting to blackmail and intimidation of people!
C.J.:
I can‘t speak for the team, but I want them to witness this. We‘ll arrange a conference call next week with the team.
Doris:
I want Justin to be part of that call. It‘s his life that‘s at stake.‖
C.J.:
Fine.
C.J. never spoke with us [Larry and Doris] again. He was not a participant in the critical phone meetings that followed.
Abused Congregation Pioneering Exodus From New Calvinism
A group of embattled, ravaged parishioners have ultimately lost the fight to save their church from a business as usual New Calvinist hostile takeover. Per the usual, their pleadings to other churches and ministries for help fell on deaf, indifferent ears. Authority = truth; game over. The teachings that these Christians endured for the better part of two years was hyper-antinomianism on steroids. The pastor’s sermons were so outrageous that a visiting adolescent was disturbed by the idea that she couldn’t do anything to please the Lord that she loves. Got millstone?
However, I must say, they put up one heck of a fight. But what they are seriously considering next is phenomenal, and will be the wave of the future—they are starting their own church. If the leaders that comprise their fellowship of churches will not stand with them when wolves attack, what else is left? As author John Immel aptly states it:
When the sheep figure out that the shepherd only defends against the wolf because he wants the same wool and mutton. When it dawns on his herd animal mind that he will be eaten either way, he finally stands up like a man and argues against the definition of “God’s Glory” equaling being served up for dinner. In that moment, the howl from the wolves and the shepherds is the same.
I received this news along with a request for some suggestions on what should be the primary focus of a new church, but first, there has been an ongoing request from the same folks for remarks on Transitioning: Leading Strong-arming Your Church Through Change by Dan Sutherland. So, I will kill two birds with one stone here.
The book was one of the worst books I have ever read in my life. Not because of its wicked protocol for taking over churches, but rather its lifeless outline form with worn-out clichés and churchy truisms making up the points and sub points. The whole book can be summed up the same way:
1. Vision.
A. Sell a group of leaders on your vision.
B. Find a way to eliminate any mere sippers of the Koolaid from the leadership team.
2. Divide the congregation into small groups.
A. Put the groups under the authority of the Kool-aid guzzling leadership team.
3. Mark those who dare think for themselves.
A. Begin process of neutralizing thinkers.
4. Totally depraved zombie sheep resist change only because its change and would
wonder aimlessly about without the strong guidance of the enlightened ones.
5. Totally depraved zombie sheep cannot handle change because:
A. They think they only need grass and a pond.
B. They don’t like new stuff.
C. They think more sheep equals less grass for them.
D. They are afraid the Shepherd won’t have time to find them if they get lost.
E. If too much is going on, they will forget where the pond is.
Now, for suggestions on starting a new church. First, broadcast the idea that you are Bible centered, and make the Bible your sole authority for everything. I see God’s people becoming very hungry for this. Second, focus on Christ’s mandate to make disciples. Third, the leaders should equip, and the congregation should minister. Fourth, unity is measured by agreement on truth, and nothing else. Fifth, elder led, and elder/congregational rule. In our day, do I really have to sell that? Sixth, Jay Adams has done most of the heavy lifting on sanctification stuff. Invest heavily in his material. When word gets out that real help can be found there from the word of God, trust me, people will come. The gospel is problem-centered. Seventh, don’t let cowards into leadership. Eighth, don’t let anti-separatist into leadership. Ninth, never forget what you have learned from your wounds. Tenth, don’t over-react to your wounds in planning for the future.
And lastly, you have no idea how much freedom and joy in the Lord you are going to experience if you do this.
God’s speed my dear friend,
paul
Unreconciled? What Now?
As I recently stated in the post, Is Love and Forgiveness Always the Same Thing? http://wp.me/pmd7S-1wk, we cannot always avoid having enemies. As much as it depends on us, and if possible, we should be at peace with all people (Romans 12:18). I wrote of the necessity for repentance before forgiveness is granted. What is forgiveness? If God is our model, forgiveness does not “remember” the sin any longer (Isaiah 43:25 Heb. 8:12; 10:17. Antithesis: Ps.109:14). That doesn’t necessarily mean the event will be vanquished from our mind, and of course, God doesn’t forget things. It means that we will not bring the matter up again to ourselves (dwelling, Phil. 4:8), the other person (revenge), or others (gossip). Furthermore, the forgiveness must also be like God’s forgiveness in that fellowship/relationship follows. In one instance that I know of where reconciliation took place between two Christians, one recommended that they should make it a point to seek each other out as a first priority on every Sunday morning for the purpose of greeting each other. That’s impressive, and according to biblical wisdom.
Unfortunately, many are taught in our day that they must, “forgive and forget” in every circumstance. If they do that, they are “doing it for themselves” and it will lead to a peaceful life. Hence, many live in misery under the burden of unresolved conflict and the forced acceptance of watching the behavior continually propagated on others. To expose or confront is not “forgiving and forgetting.” In addition, the neglect of holding people accountable is not exactly a loving act in and of itself. Supposedly, not forgiving will only lead to bitterness, perpetual anger, and joylessness.
Not so. Those that we are not reconciled to in the Bible are referred to as “enemies,” and we are to love them. You can love someone that you are angry with. We are to be angry without sin (Eph. 4:26); sinful anger is revenge (Rom. 12:19). Anger itself is not sin; God is often angry:
Psalm 2:12
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 4:4
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.
Psalm 18:7
Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.
Psalm 79:5
How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?
Psalm 80:4
O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
Psalm 85:5
Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
First, our focus and goal should always be reconciliation. As mentioned in the other post, doing good to our enemies lends opportunity for reconciliation. We should also continue to hold them accountable whether the church does what it is supposed to do or not, but without vengeful acts. By the way, revenge in our mind must be excluded also. Vengeful thinking is what leads to bitterness when forgiveness cannot be granted, not the lack of forgiveness itself. Can we promise a rapist or a sexual abuser that we will never bring up their unrepentant behavior in the future? Hardly!
Secondly, Matthew 18 cuts both ways. If a pastor or elders refuse to repent when you go to them according to the Matthew 18 process, and the congregation or other leaders refusing to hold them accountable notwithstanding (“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them”), keep in mind that they may be treated like unbelievers in such cases. By all means, when the opportunity arises, preach the gospel to them. Who excluded them from the Matthew 18 process?
Thirdly, Make sure you have asked for forgiveness where you were unbiblical in the situation. That puts the ball in their court as far as your responsibility in the matter. Don’t apologize, ask for forgiveness. And exclude all “….but….” If they bring up issues where you have no biblical fault, DO NOT seek forgiveness on that issue because that is not repentance according to the truth. God will not honor it. If you are not sure their issue is valid—postpone your response and seek counsel from the word and others who have wisdom in this area.
Fourthly, pray for your enemies specifically (Matthew 5:44). How would you like to see the situation resolved? What do you really want for that person’s life? James said we do not have because we do not ask.
Fifthly, in your duty to expose, warn, confront, love, learn (remember, God has allowed this in your life for a reason), and reconcile if possible, pick your thinking and conversation carefully. “Dwelling” (a kissing cousin to revengeful thinking or murdering people in our heart) is not constructive towards a solution or cause. Read Philippians, chapter four in regard to what kind of thinking leads to peace.
paul
Passing Thoughts on the Calvin Institutes
Throughout the Calvin Institutes, one asks, “Is he talking about justification or sanctification?” Yes. Like the “New Calvinists” of this day, Calvin used ambiguous pronouns that could refer to mankind in general or Christians. And I think deliberately so. This is a communication technique that New Calvinists learned from Calvin himself. It is a way to say the two are the same thing without stating it plainly.
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